Ultimate Fan Guide: Minami Hamabe
WARNING! May contain spoilers!
Brief synopsis from MDL:
Hyakkaou Private Academy is a prestigious institution for the privileged, which was first established 122 years ago. The students there are ranked by their gambling winnings. The winners receive everything including fame and fortune. The winners also dominate the losers. One day, female transfer student Yumeko Jabami arrives at Hyakkaou Private Academy. Yumeko Jabami has a pretty appearance, but she is a gambling maniac who loves high stakes.
I first saw Kakegurui Season 1 via Netflix and got hooked just by watching the first episode. I just watched it because I had nothing better to watch, plus it's just 24 minutes long per episode. And I was not disappointed with my decision, as it kept me on the edge of my seat, and I was thoroughly enjoying every moment of it. Because of this, I decided to also watch the Anime and will probably read the manga to be able to compare the two better.
When they announced a Season 2 and a Movie, I was ecstatic. I HAD to see it. LOL. Then, they announced that it will be screened here (Philippines) as a part of the Japan Film Festival, can you imagine how happy I was? :) So then, at last on August 25th, 2019 I was able to watch Kakegurui Movie on the big screen and I kid you not, it doesn't disappoint. I was loving every moment of it.
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Here I will try to list down why I loved it and and why you should watch it. I will also point out the differences and compare the Live Action to the Anime version.
Hajimemashou! (始めましょう！）Let's start!
1) Story: The story of this serial is quite unique. I have not seen anything like this, have you? Please let me know if you have.
Once you get over the fact that the characters' OVERACTING is NORMAL you'd enjoy it.
Comparison to Anime: Season 1 and 2 is just the Season 1 of the anime. The story is pretty much the same.
2) Cast: I think the cast they chose were so on-point and they are like the personification of the characters. Minami Hamabe playing Yumeko was just superb! Every time she activates "Kekegurui" her facial expression is just so crazy I love it! And Elaiza Ikeda playing president Kirari with a stoic face is something I never expected. I loved how she portrayed her. Even though she has little lines and screen time the presence she exudes is exactly how I envisioned President Kirari to be.
All the other characters like Mary Saotome played by Morikawa Aoi, Suzui Ryota played by Takasugi Mahiro and the rest were all superb! All of them added beauty to the live action. All the cast did a very good job!
Comparison to Anime: All characters were done exactly like the Anime, or was the Anime done exactly like the live action? LOL. Kidding. The Anime President Kirari has more screen time though.
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3) Craziness! Yup, you read it right. I LOVED the series' craziness! The over-the-top facial expressions, the weird gambling scenarios, and the crazy characters I loved the craziness of it all. It made me love the uniqueness it allowed me to experience. Of course it's not unique anymore if you've seen the Anime first but you'd still love it.
Comparison to Anime: Of course there are things that can be done in the anime that you cannot in the live action but it still is crazy enough!
In addition:
If I had to name something I did not like very much, it would be the visual presentation of the characters. Oh no, don't get me wrong. I love how they look but since I was able to see the Anime there are some differences I noticed that I wished didn't exist, one solid example is Mary's hair. In the Anime her hair is blonde and I somehow wished that the Live Action Mary would have blonde hair too, though not having one doesn't make her not perfect for the role.
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In conclusion:
Yes, the series may not be at par with everybody's taste but it is definitely worth checking out. It definitely is not perfect but you never know, you may end up loving it (or disliking it --I hope not.)
If you've seen Kakegurui, please let me know your thoughts!
If you have not seen it yet, please give it a try :)
Images from : here, here and here
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